


The First Fresh Start

by JamieMac26



Series: A Series of Firsts [11]
Category: Criminal Minds, Criminal Minds RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-02-20
Packaged: 2018-05-22 05:40:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6067234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamieMac26/pseuds/JamieMac26
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you to everyone who read and loved this story. I'm sad to see it end, but it was so much fun to write. Here is to the next adventure that I choose to embark on.</p></blockquote>





	The First Fresh Start

Alex dragged her toes in the pristine white sand of one of the many North Shore beaches. The rocky coastline rumbled with the sound of crashing waves. She focused on that noise and easily tuned out the squawking of the people that occupied the sand. She took a deep breath, inhaling the salty air and exhaling the stress that had encompassed her life lately.

Things had changed drastically over the last several months. She had quit one job and started another. She’d moved from her apartment into a much larger house. She’d gained a roommate and had ditched the solitude that had been her life prior. The demands on her had increased significantly and when the opportunity to take this impromptu trip had materialized, she had quickly jumped on the chance. She’d begged for a week off, had bought a ridiculously priced airline ticket and had managed to book a beach front townhome.

She had so far enjoyed two peaceful, restful days in this land of paradise. She’s eaten a large breakfast that morning and had decided that a long stroll along the sand and in the water would do her some much needed good. She stopped, closing her eyes and allowing the waves to splash against her bare feet. Her mind began to wander, and of course it decided to revisit that night, the night he had shown up at her door. She smiled at the sweet memory, her stomach fluttering with the tiny wings of frenzied butterflies.

_Matthew stood on the other side, his hair a mess, the purple under his eyes more prominent than normal and his clothes seemed to hang on him. But his eyes were bright and they shone in the light emanating from her living room lamp. “I’m sorry that I’m late. I should have been here several days ago.”_

_She didn’t say anything, pulling the door open wider and taking a step to the side. He brushed against her as he entered her apartment. She watched as he slipped his shoes off and meandered into her kitchen. She giggled as she witnessed him grab a bottle of beer. He glanced over at her and smiled as he popped the top off and walked back over to her._

_“So…” Matthew reached for the door and pushed it closed. He extended his hand towards her and she took it. He pulled them over to the couch, where they both ungracefully flopped onto the soft cushions._

_“So….” Alex scooted closer to him, her legs leaning against his. Her shoulder pressed up to his, her hand clinging tightly to his. “So, you’re here.”_

_He nodded his head, “I am here. Honestly, I wanted to be here a few days ago, but there was a bit of baggage I had to rid myself of first and it took a bit longer than I had originally planned._

_“Baggage? I thought you said that you weren’t dating anyone.” Alex turned to look at him, his hazel eyes glinted back up at her._

_“I wasn’t dating anyone but there might have been a girl on the side that I, well, that I might have had a bit of an arrangement with.” Matthew’s cheeks started to blush a rosy pink._

_Alex snickered, “Oh my god, you had a friend’s with benefits.”_

_“If you are so determined to label it, then yes, that’s kind of what it was.” He narrowed his eyes at her, reaching down and pinching her thigh._

_“Hey,” She swatted at his hands, “Is that who was calling you while we were talking?”_

_He nodded, “There was possibly some miscommunication between the two of us.” His cheeks started to turn a darker shake of pink._

_Alex watched his reaction, her hand shooting up her mouth, smothering her laugh. “She thought you were dating.” She mumbled through her fingers._

_Matthew pulled her fingers away from her face, “Yes, she was under the impression that we were more than just ‘friends with benefits.’ God, I hate that term, but it took me several days to get through to her, without just destroying her feelings.”_

_“You know, you could have told me all of this.”_

_He shrugged his shoulders, his head falling back. “I know but I wanted to start fresh and new with you. She was keeping me from doing that.”_

_Alex’s phone rang out from bedroom. “Oh shit!!” She jumped up and ran down the hallway, lunging for her phone. “Paget!”_

_“Geez, there is no need to shout. Are you ready? I’m outside.” Paget giggled, voices in the background causing her to laugh out loud._

_“I’m not coming out.” Alex started, Paget began to protest. “Wait, before you bitch at me…Matthew’s here.”_

_“What? When did he show up?” Paget shushed the other passengers in her car._

_“Just a little bit ago, I was going to call you and tell you nevermind, but I forgot.” Alex leaned her head out of her bedroom, glancing into her living room at the back of Matthew’s messy head of hair._

_Squealing that was so loud, Alex had to hold the phone away from her, stemmed from the mouthpiece. “Okay, we’re taking off. Let me know what happens, okay? Oh god, I want the two of you to get back together.”_

_Alex shook her head as she hung the phone up, switching it over to silent. She padded back out to where her guest sat, seating herself back down next to him. “I was supposed to go out with Paget tonight but you showed up. That was her, telling me she was here to pick me up. Oops, I forgot to tell her that plans had changed.”_

_His eyes were closed but he opened them slightly to look up at her. She leaned down and gently placed a tender kiss on his lips. He returned the kiss, deepening the pressure, his hands running up her arms, pulling her closer to him._

_Alex stopped, leaning her head against the couch next to him, “So, this is happening? Again?”_

_He turned so he was looking right at her, “This is happening.”_

Alex opened her eyes and stared out at the endless vastness of the blue ocean spread out before her. Months of bliss and craziness had ensued following that night. Being back in a relationship with Matthew just felt right to her. It was almost like they had never been apart, and she wanted things to just stay that way. She even tried to get back onto Criminal Minds but that hadn’t gone exactly as planned. Paget had swooped in and snatched her away, hiring her as her own makeup artist. Alex was good with that, but it did mean that seeing Matthew was limited, since both now were busy daily.

Then, after a few months, he’d once again asked her to move in with him. She had hesitated at first, not sure if that was the right step for them to be taking but he had pointed out that they would see one another more if they lived under the same roof. So she had given in and had moved in with him. Then as the television season started to wrap up, she had found herself looking ahead at being jobless for a few months. She contemplated finding work on a movie set but Matthew had put his foot down, instead offering to have her accompany him while he spent his off time filming a movie.

Once the season started up again, she was once again, in a very familiar trailer.

_Matthew’s tired face appeared in the doorway of the makeup trailer. Alex giggled as a moment of déjà vu flashed through her mind. He squinted at her, taking the cup of coffee that she extended in his direction. “How are you so awake?”_

_She shook her head, spinning the chair and motioning for him to sit. “I actually go to sleep before midnight and get, I don’t know, a good solid 7 hours of sleep.”_

_He rolled his eyes at her and sipped on his coffee, “At least you have coffee.”_

_She ran her fingers through his hair, grabbing hold and tilting his head back. She hoovered over him, “It’s only because I love you.” She placed a quick kiss on his lips, letting her fingers slowly pull through his curls._

_He watched her in the mirror, “Love? You love me?”_

_“Oh stop, you know that I do. Drink your coffee.”_

_He turned so he was facing her, grabbing her hand._

_“Alex, it took years for us to discover that we are meant to be together.” He slid out of the chair, propping himself on one knee._

_“Matthew, what are you doing?”_

_“I don’t want to lose you again. I don’t want you to run again. I want you to stay with me, for always.” He reached into his pocket._

_Alex moved her hand up to her mouth, the words she kept trying to say, stuck in her throat. He pulled out a ring. A blue sapphire caught the light just right. Alex held her breath and looked up into the hazel eyes of the man professing his love for her._

_“Alex, I love you.” He pulled the ring from the box and slowly slipped it onto her finger._

Her eyes drifted down to her hand. The blue stone twinkled in the full sunlight. Tingles ran up her spine, her arms breaking out into goosebumps.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she pulled it out, squinting to see the screen in the sunlight. She quickly scanned the text and giggled as she placed the phone back into her pocket. She turned and started to slowly make her way back to her home for the week.

She pushed the door open, bathing the room in the bight rays.

“Oh good, you’re back. The hotel called and everything is set up and ready for tonight. Are you heading up there soon?”

Alex nodded, “I will meet you there in a few hours.” She leaned in, pressing her lips to his cheek. “Don’t you dare be late!”

He made a crossing sign across his chest and grinned at her.

Alex laughed, shaking her head as she pushed past him, moving into the bedroom. She grabbed the bag that was lying on the bed and her purse, before heading back towards the front door.

~~

Matthew stood on the beach. The sun was slowly setting into the ocean behind him. He took a few deep breaths and looked around. The setting was perfect.

The music began to play. Matthew’s eyes immediately shot up, looking across the sand. His heart stopped as she stepped out onto the beach. A small smile crossed his lips, growing bigger with each step she took. The white dress that flowed out behind her, almost made her look angelic. Her eyes were locked onto him. His heart started to beat, rather pound in his chest. He was really doing this. He was really starting a brand new chapter in his life. He was really making sure that she would never run from him again.

She passed the rows of chairs. The seats were filled with familiar faces, faces of friends old and new. His heart fluttered as she came to stand next to him. He reached out and took her hands, holding them tightly in his own. He whispered ‘I love you’ to her as the justice of the peace, simply stated…

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Alexandria Norwood and Matthew Gray Gubler.”

 

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone who read and loved this story. I'm sad to see it end, but it was so much fun to write. Here is to the next adventure that I choose to embark on.


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